I found this 9-minute video from Rex Krueger about screwdriver handle design really interesting in the context of my post about Photoshop’s dialogs.

Screwdriver handles evolved over the decades in response to user needs and usage patterns, with a few clever affordances: some for everyone, some for specific use cases that might not be obvious.

I think by now all the basic onscreen UI elements – input fields, pop-up menus, checkboxes, buttons, top menus, sliders, and so on – have similar richness, as do all the core input devices like a keyboard, a mouse, a trackpad, or a touch screen.

That doesn’t mean that everything is set in stone, that no changes are possible, and that stuff that fell out of favour can ever be taken away – after all, computer usage, input devices, and conventions are evolving much faster than screws at this point – but that one has to be aware of the history so that the changes are intentional, not accidental.

A few select comments from under the video that I found interesting:

The Craftsman handles are also different colors for Phillips and slotted screwdrivers.

The fluted handle was patented. So anyone else wanting to make a screwdriver would have to pay the patent holder. So they tried alternatives to make more money. That is the real reason until the patent expired. Plus if they invented a “better” way and held the patent, others would have to pay THEM.

The Swedish word for screwdriver is “skruvmejsel” with literally translates as “screw chisel.”